QUESTION:
I have a few questions:
1 – What is the difference between a Muhaddith and a Marje’?
2 – Is it necessary that every Marje’ is also a Muhaddith?
3 – Do the Maraje’ (plural of Marje’) rely on all narrations reported and narrated by Muhadditheen (plural of Muhaddith)? Or do they consider some narrations to be authentic and others to be weak, etc.?
4 – What is the scholarly level of a Muhaddith? Can we take the opinion of a Muhaddith and use it to apply a jural judgment?
ANSWER:
In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Family and damn their enemies.
After consulting the Sheikh, he said:
Q1:
A Muhaddith is a scholar whose scholarly path is mostly concerned with narrations, traditions and sciences related to these issues, such as Ilm al-Rijal (the science of narrators), Ilm al-Riwaya (the science of narrations) and Ilm al-Diraya (the science of perception and comprehension). A Marje’ is a Mujtahid (a diligent scholar) who can deduct jural judgments and whom the conditions of giving Fatwas are present in him.
Q2:
It is not necessary. However, a Marje’ possesses the same knowledge as a Muhaddith. Many Maraje’ were Muhadditheen as well, even though a Muhaddith might have better skills to learn narrations and traditions by heart and be better skilled at obtaining them.
Q3:
They do not completely rely on what they narrate. The narrations are placed under the scientific measurements, which decide whether or not they should be accepted.
Q 4:
He has a respectable level of knowledge and scholarship on sciences related to narrations; however, jural judgments are not taken from him. But still, jurists and Maraje’ might take the opinions of a Muhaddith in the fields of his specialisation.
The Office of Sheikh al-Habib